- National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula referred Tuesday the list of the nominees from the president to the Committee on Appointments.
- A notice dated July 24 from Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge invites Kenyans to submit in writing representations on the suitability of any candidate for appointment.
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Kenyans have until next Wednesday to make any submissions regarding the 10 Cabinet Secretary nominees ahead of their vetting.
National Assembly speaker Moses Wetangula referred Tuesday the list of the nominees from the president to the Committee on Appointments.
A notice dated July 24 from Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge invites Kenyans to submit in writing representations on the suitability of any candidate for appointment.
"In compliance with Article 118(1)(b) of the Constitution and section 6(9) of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, 2011, the Clerk of the National Assembly hereby invites members of the public to submit any representations they may have, by way of written statement on oath (affidavit)," the notice reads.
Njoroge said it should be accompanied by supporting evidence contesting the suitability of any nominee.
The representations are to be forwarded to the office of the clerk at the parliament, hand-delivered to or emailed to [email protected] and [email protected] by 5 pm on the said day.
The House will set the dates on which the nominees will appear for grilling.
The Committee will then table a report on the floor of the House for consideration.
Wetangula said in a press conference Monday that all the nominees including those reappointed will be vetted.
He said the six who were in the last cabinet cannot be deemed unfit to hold public office just because they were dismissed from Cabinet.
“If you read the law properly, persons who cannot occupy public offices are those who have been removed from office on account of violation of Chapter 6 of the Constitution. The six were simply dismissed. There was no allegation of any wrongdoing against them,” he added.
Section 6(9) of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, Cap. 7F provides that any person may prior to the approval hearing and by written statement on oath, provide the Clerk with evidence contesting the suitability of a candidate to hold the office to which the candidate has been nominated.
A section of MPs have already reassured Kenyans that the vetting process will be conducted meticulously.
"This time and this period in Parliament, I want to tell members who are my colleagues that vetting is not going to be business as usual. This time, if somebody is not suitable, capable and doesn't have the capacity, we are going to throw them out. We must do justice to Kenyans. We must do our work properly this time," said Suna East MP Junet Mohamed.
He said the House has records of the CSs who were vetted last year by the Committee.
President William Ruto named July 19 half of the members to the Cabinet a week after sending home 21 of his previous Cabinet save for Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi.
Among the 11 nominees were six faces who served in the disbanded Cabinet.
They include Aden Duale of Defence who was initially nominated back to the same docket before the President swapped him with Soipan Tuya of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry.
Others are Kithure Kindiki (Interior), Davis Chirchir (Roads and Transport) and Alice Wahome (Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development).
Rebecca Miano was also on the list as Nominated Attorney General but her name was not forwarded to the National Assembly for vetting.
The new faces are Eric Muriithi Muuga (Water, Sanitation and Irrigation), Margaret Nyambura Ndung'u (Information, Communication and the Digital Economy), Debra Mlongo Barasa (Health), Julius Migos Ogamba (Education) and Andrew Mwihia Karanja (Agriculture and Livestock Development).
Ruto also appointed former Trade CS Rebecca Miano for the post of Attorney General but her name was not among those submitted to Parliament for consideration and approval.